Our Speakers
Hear from visionary leaders, educators, and advocates dedicated to reviving the roots of the American family.
Rosaria Butterfield
Author, Speaker
Rosaria Butterfield
Rosaria Butterfield, a former tenured professor of English and women’s studies at Syracuse University, converted to Christ in what she describes as a train wreck. Her memoir, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor’s Journey into Christian Faith (Crown and Covenant, 2012), chronicles her conversion. Rosaria is married to Kent, a Reformed Presbyterian pastor in North Carolina. She is a mother, grandmother, author, and speaker.
Bishop Patrick Wooden
Bishop
Upper Room Church of God in Christ
Bishop Patrick Wooden
Bishop Patrick L. Wooden, Sr. is a soul stirring gospel preacher, and prolific visionary leader who is dedicated to excellence, holiness, and God’s truth. He has been saved and serving the Lord for over 47 years and has served as Senior Pastor of Upper Room Church of God in Christ in Raleigh NC for 38 years. In 2016 Bishop Wooden was consecrated Jurisdictional Bishop of North Carolina Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction where he oversees churches in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Nationally, Bishop Wooden serves as Co-Director of the Men’s Ministry in the Church of God in Christ.
Frank Turek
Speaker
Frank Turek
Dr. Frank Turek is a dynamic speaker and award-winning author or coauthor of five books: Hollywood Heroes How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God, Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to make their Case, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, Correct, Not Politically Correct and Legislating Morality. As the President of CrossExamined.org, Frank presents powerful and entertaining evidence for Christianity at churches, high schools, and secular college campuses that often begin hostile to his message. He has also debated several prominent atheists including Christopher Hitchens and Michael Shermer, Founding Publisher of Skeptic Magazine.
Katy Faust
Children's Rights Activist
Them Before Us
Katy Faust
Katy Faust is Founder and President of Them Before Us, a global movement defending children’s right to their mother and father. She publishes, speaks and testifies widely on why marriage and family are matters of justice for children. Her articles have appeared in outlets including Newsweek, USA Today, Fox News, The Federalist, Public Discourse, WORLD Magazine, the Daily Wire, First Things, and the Blaze. She is on the advisory board for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. She detailed her philosophy of worldview transmission in her book, Raising Conservative Kids in a Woke City. Her third book, Pro-Child Politics was published September 2024. She is spearheading Greater Than which aims to retake legal marriage on behalf of children. She and her husband have raised their four children in Seattle.
Aaron Baer
Speaker
Aaron Baer
Aaron Baer is the President of Center for Christian Virtue (CCV). Under Aaron’s leadership, CCV has been at the forefront of the effort to pass life-changing and lifesaving legislation in Ohio, including bills to prohibit abortion at the moment a heartbeat is detected in an unborn child, expand school choice programs, and protect religious freedom. Prior to his tenure at CCV, Aaron worked at Center for Arizona Policy and served as Policy Advisor to Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Among other outlets, Aaron has appeared on CNN and NBC Nightly News, and his writings have been published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, USA Today, and the Arizona Republic.A native of Warren, Ohio, Aaron met his wife, Maria, at Ohio University where they both graduated from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Along with their two daughters, they live in Columbus, Ohio.
Dr. John Wilsey
Speaker
Dr. John Wilsey
Professor of Church History and Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Church History and Historical Theology at Southern Seminary and Boyce College. A dedicated educator and scholar, he has over a decade of experience teaching history and theology across secondary and higher education, including unique service within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Dr. Wilsey has held prestigious research fellowships with institutions such as Princeton University, the Acton Institute, and the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy. Nationally, he is a widely published academic author, columnist, and speaker whose insights on church history and American culture have been featured across numerous premier media outlets and academic journals. He is married to Mandy, has two children, and serves as an elder at Kenwood Baptist Church.
Les Bernal
Speaker
Stop Predatory Gambling
Les Bernal
Les is the National Director of Stop Predatory Gambling, a 501c3 non-profit advocacy network of individuals and partner groups from all political stripes with members in all 50 states and its mission is to reveal the truth behind gambling operators to prevent more victims. He has been National Director since 2008 when the national network grew into the organization of Stop Predatory Gambling.Les has spoken and written extensively about commercialized gambling operators and their business practices, including regional casinos, state lotteries, online gambling, and commercialized sports betting. He has testified before Congress and more than thirty state legislatures. He has been cited by more than 700 newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. He has appeared on national television and radio including 60 Minutes, PBS NewsHour, CNN, Fox News Channel, National Public Radio, CNBC, The BBC, and MSNBC. He has also spoken before more than 1000 business organizations, college audiences and faith groups across the nation.Prior to joining Stop Predatory Gambling, Les served as a Chief of Staff in the Massachusetts State Senate and worked as a campaign strategist for more than forty federal and state campaigns. He is also a former high school and college men’s basketball coach, founder of the Robert Frost Foundation in Lawrence, Massachusetts- the hometown of America’s favorite poet – and a past chairman of the city’s Planning Board. He is a member of St. Patrick Parish, a Roman Catholic community in Lawrence.
Keith Coe
Speaker
Keith Coe
Keith Coe is the founder of an AI advisory and implementation firm that helps businesses modernize operations, streamline workflows, and unlock value from their data through practical AI solutions. With more than 25 years of experience building and scaling companies, Keith works with business owners and executive teams to identify real-world applications for AI that improve efficiency, decision-making, and growth.His work includes AI workflow automation, business intelligence dashboards, operational strategy, and custom software solutions across multiple industries. Known for translating complex technology into practical business outcomes, Keith focuses on helping organizations move beyond the hype and implement AI in ways that create measurable impact.Based on California’s Central Coast, Keith advises companies nationwide on AI strategy, automation, and operational transformation.
Douglas Napier
CEO
1792 Exchange
Douglas Napier
Douglas Napier is the Executive Chairman & CEO of 1792 Exchange, a non-profit organization focused on influencing corporate behavior to protect freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and free enterprise. He has over 30 years of professional life engaged in law, business, real estate development, executive leadership, training, international relations, public policy, issue advocacy, healthcare, hospitality, media engagement, and coalition building.Douglas has been a partner in a private law firm, a senior executive and senior legal counsel for an international non-profit organization, and served as president of an Arizona residential real estate company.
Kara Wente
Speaker
Kara Wente
Kara B. Wente is the Director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY). Kara has spent her career advocating for children. Before being nominated to lead DCY, she served as the Director of the Governor’s Children’s Initiative and was the Chief Operating Officer for Future Ready Columbus. With more than 20 years in dedicated state service, Kara has extensive experience in serving the most vulnerable children and families in Ohio.
Dr. Matthew Spalding
Speaker
Hillsdale College
Dr. Matthew Spalding
Matthew Spalding is the Kirby Professor in Constitutional Government and Dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College and oversees the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship at Hillsdale’s Washington, D.C. campus. His new book, The Making of the American Mind: The Making of Our Declaration of Independence, was released in December 2025. Spalding is also the best-selling author of We Still Hold These Truths: Rediscovering Our Principles, Reclaiming Our Future and the original executive editor of The Heritage Guide to the Constitution, the first line-by-line analysis of each clause of the U.S. Constitution.
David Mahan
Policy Executive Director
Center for Christian Virtue
David Mahan
David is a husband, father, minister, and CCV’s Policy Executive Director and cohost of The Narrative podcast. For years, he has been a sought-after presenter and consultant for organizations including the Federal Administration for Children and Families, Georgia’s Governor’s Office for Children and Families, Maryland Department of Health, Mississippi Department of Human Services, Heartbeat International, the Council of Urban Boards of Education, and the SWITCH Anti-Trafficking Network.A fierce advocate for youth and families across the U.S. and abroad, David tackles difficult topics like sexual risk avoidance, abortion, human trafficking prevention, fatherlessness, and gender identity—often in front of tough audiences who need truth spoken boldly and clearly.David's bold and engaging communication approach has influenced tens of thousands over the last 20 years. In 2016, he received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for exemplary service to the community.In 2019, he was invited to testify before Congress, sharing how he and his family overcame poverty, addiction, and abuse in just one generation—through God’s Power, God’s People, and God’s Principles.
Todd Marrah
Superintendent
Tree of Life Christian Schools
Todd Marrah
Todd is the Senior Advisor to CCV’s Christian Education Network (CEN), Superintendent of Tree of Life Christian Schools in Columbus, and Executive Pastor at Rock City Church—one of the fastest-growing churches in America. He also serves on the board of the Columbus Dream Center and chairs the board of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).With over 30 years in ministry—as a children’s, youth, preaching, and executive pastor—and experience as a middle and high school teacher, principal, and superintendent, Todd brings unique insight into the challenges facing both education and the Church. Todd consults with Christian schools and churches across the country and frequently speaks on board governance, leadership, strategic planning, spiritual formation, and Christian parenting. His academic research focused on the spiritual formation of middle and high school students, and his dissertation helped initiate research on spiritual formation in Christian schools.He and his wife, Jana, have six children and seven grandchildren.
Valerie Jones
Teach for the Kingdom Director
Center for Christian Virtue
Valerie Jones
Valerie serves as the Teach for the Kingdom Director in CCV’s Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN). She began her career in education as a high school English/Humanities teacher after graduating with her bachelor's degree from Ohio University in 1999. She taught at Southeastern High School for 16 years, serving on the District Leadership Team and Building Leadership Team. After earning her master’s degree from Marygrove College in 2002 and her doctorate from Marshall University in 2017, Valerie moved to higher education as the Dean of the School of Education at Ohio Christian University. There, with her team of faculty, she launched a new Master’s in Education program, a Mild/Moderate Intervention bachelor’s program, and served as chair of the Assessment Committee. Valerie was then called to become Superintendent of Ross County Christian Academy in 2022. While serving as Superintendent, Valerie also served on OCEN's Leadership Council and, working with her team, launched Parenting with a Purpose, Student, Parent, Staff, and Spiritual Advisory Councils, and added Spiritual Development for both students and staff. Valerie lives in Chillicothe on her husband's (Van) family farm. Van and Valerie have 4 children, Morgan, Grace, Stella, and CJ, and 3 grandsons, Sterling, Waylon, and Everett. Sterling attends Preschool at Cincinnati Christian School.
Dave Arrell
School Expansion Director
Center for Christian Virtue
Dave Arrell
Dave is the School Expansion Director of CCV's Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN). Before coming to CCV, he spent more than 37 years in both church-based and independent Christian schools. His teaching and coaching career began in 1985 in Maryland, and he has also served as an Athletic Director, Assistant Principal, Principal, and Head of School in Christian schools in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio. He was also the Head of School at Grove City Christian School (GCCS) for eight years.Dave is active in the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), including hosting events for other Christian school faculty and leaders. He is Vice Chair of the ACSI Regional Accreditation Commission and also serves a group of schools in Ohio as a Field Director. Dave graduated from Lancaster Bible College (PA) with a Bachelor of Science in Bible and Johns Hopkins University (MD) with a Master of Science in Education. Dave’s wife, Lori, is a third-grade teacher at GCCS. They have two adult children, one of whom is an Athletic Director at a Christian school in northern Ohio.
Peter Range
Senior Fellow for Strategic Initiatives
Center for Christian Virtue
Peter Range
Prior to coming to CCV, Peter was the Executive Director of Ohio Right to Life after serving seven years as the Director of the Office for Life and Justice of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Toledo. Eight months into his tenure with the Ohio Right to Life, Peter was promoted to Chief Executive Officer. Peter hosts his own radio show, “Say Yes to Life,” which airs in Ohio and Michigan.Peter graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Master’s in Theology with a focus in Biblical Studies. Peter received his Bachelor of Arts in History from John Carroll University in 2004. Peter's history of ministry work includes serving immigrant families, inner-city youth, university students, and the homeless.Peter is passionate about family, service, and encountering the one true God, Jesus Christ. He married his wife, Laura, in May 2015. They live in Northwest Ohio and have six children.
